


The Hero of Spirits

by TheHeroOfHeroes



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:48:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28421196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHeroOfHeroes/pseuds/TheHeroOfHeroes
Summary: The Heroes stumble upon the verdant fields of another Hyrule, where strange machines run along stranger ribbons of steel that crisscross the land.  If it isn't any of their kingdoms, then whose is it?
Relationships: Warriors & OC (Linked Universe)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 31





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> This sidefic is the longest one yet! I have been feeling that Engineer!Link should be a separate hero in the Linked Universe AU, and so I decided to write a story about him joining the heroes that is incorporated into my main fic. I was heavily inspired by [@snowylynxx's](https://snowylynxx.tumblr.com/) The Hero of Spirits artwork on Tumblr, which you can find here: 
> 
> [Snowylynxx's The Hero of Spirits](https://snowylynxx.tumblr.com/post/636899503646146560/i-finished-watching-a-long-play-of-spirit-tracks)
> 
> In honor of their art, I named this sidefic after the hero title they came up with! Please take some time to head over to their blog and compliment their amazing art!
> 
> Also, another Tumblr artist whose blog I finally found, [@hookshots](https://hookshots.tumblr.com/), drew an amazing Engineer!Link here (I had seen this drawing before I began to write, but struggled to find the original artist as I could only find this using Google Images):
> 
> [Hookshots’ Engineer!Link](https://hookshots.tumblr.com/post/37018018811/people-should-draw-spirit-tracksengineer-link)
> 
> These two amazing artists influenced my portrayal of Engineer!Link! I hope you enjoy!

The crackle of dark energy dissipated as the group stepped out of the portal. Looking about, The Heroes of Hyrule and The Historian surveyed their new surroundings for any signs of an imminent threat.

“Anyone wanna guess which Hyrule we’re in now?” The Hero of Winds asked as he looked out ahead. The plain was a bright field of green, replete with an assortment of wildflowers that coated the gently rolling hills. The occasional leafy tree dotted the landscape as a gentle breeze accompanied the pillow-like clouds.

“Wherever this is, it’s incredibly peaceful,” The Hero of Twilight commented. His sensitive nose could smell the familiar waft of fragrance from honeysuckle as his hearing picked up the distant call of robins. Behind the scent of flowers was a faint whiff of saltwater, suggesting a seaside was not far off.

“I take it none of you find this Hyrule familiar?” The Historian asked the group, gaining the attention of a handful of his comrades while the others took in the gorgeous day.

“Doesn’t look like mine. Not enough ruins,” The Hero of The Wild chuckled, earning an understanding giggle from The Hero of Hyrule. “I have to agree with The Champion. This is too pleasant to be my Hyrule.”

“Well, perhaps if it is none of our eras, maybe it’s a new Hyrule! You know what that means, right? We might have a tenth hero joining us!” Wind replied happily.

“Calm yourself, sailor. We don’t know that just yet,” The Hero of Warriors teased while patting the young boy’s head. “We first need to find a settlement so we can get our bearings. If this is indeed another Hyrule, some village folk should be able to direct us to the castle.”

“Agreed. The princess might be able to help us locate the hero of this era,” Time added. Before anyone could respond, a strange noise reached them. Listening carefully, they deduced it was not far away.

“That sounded like… no it couldn’t be…” The Historian pondered aloud as his face lit up with pleasant surprise, making Warriors show a small smile.

“What is it, hon?” Warriors asked.

“If I didn’t know any better, that sounded like the whistle of a steam locomotive,” the scholar explained, earning quizzical glances from his heroic friends. “I figured you’d give me that look. I can explain later if we come across it, but right now let’s see if we can find the source of that whistle.” With haste in his step, The Historian began to briskly walk across the field towards the crest of a large hill with the heroes hurrying behind him.

“Just as I thought,” The Historian mumbled as he reached the top of the hill. The heroes looked on with curious expressions as a strange machine rolled itself along ribbons of metal which were situated on top of triangular stone blocks on the ground. The contraption belched grey and white smoke from its top and its sides as another shrill whistle echoed everywhere. The machine appeared to be pulling equally strange wagons of all shapes and sizes, possibly with some sort of cargo. On the partially enclosed back of the contraption, a head of blonde hair with a red cap could be seen leaning outward.

“Let’s see if he can help us!” Four suggested. A faint boom told the heroes The Historian was already on the move. Before any of them could blink, their companion was standing between the ribbons of metal.

The machine released another loud, rather urgent sounding whistle. The heroes noticed the person on the machine appeared panicked as he scrambled about. As the young man scurried, the machine behaved erratically as its wheels ground to a halt in an effort to stop.

“Babe, look out!” Warriors yelled.

“Loyalty, halt that train, but try not to damage it or hurt anyone…” The Historian whispered under his breath. On command, familiar black chains erupted from either side of the machine, ensnaring the contraption as they pulled taut, bringing the machine and its wagons to a stop a hands length away from The Historian. As the tension in the machine released, it hissed white smoke in retaliation for being stopped so suddenly.

“Ay! What gives! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” called a young man’s voice.

The source of the voice climbed off the machine as he approached The Historian, the source’s outrage culling itself a bit as he noticed others coming down the hill to join the man standing on in front of his machine. The young blonde man looked remarkably like Wind, except slightly older and, as a consequence, a bit taller and more muscular than The Sailor. The Historian fathomed this person could not be any older than sixteen years of age. The young man had messy hair made more unruly from the red cap he was wearing, although his hair was not quite long enough to cover his pointed ears or the freckles around his brown eyes. As The Historian would expect, the boy’s clothing appeared to be made of a fire-resistant material, with a v-neck, double-breasted overshirt in a shade of dark blue complemented by six brass buttons. The sleeves of a lighter blue undershirt protruded from under the shorter sleeves of the boy’s overshirt. The matching dark blue trousers were kept snug to the boy’s waist thanks to a brown leather belt and were tucked into his brown, calf-high leather boots, while his hands sported protective leather gloves. A bright red scarf was tied around his neck that matched his red cap. Strapped to his back was a scabbard holding a sword reminiscent of Wind’s Phantom Sword but with a differently designed guard. On the young man’s waist was a strange, red-colored whip. From head to toe, the heroes noticed the young man was lightly covered in black dust.

“H-hey now, I’m warning you. I-if this is a train robbery, I will stop you! On my honor as a Royal Engineer, I’ll protect my train from thugs like you!” the young man said nervously, quickly looking about to size up his potential assailants as he kept his left hand on the grip of his sheathed blade. As he spoke, the heroes could see the young man had a small gap between his two front teeth.

“Easy, Engineer. We’re not here to rob anyone, and certainly not your train,” The Historian spoke, mentally noting how tense The Engineer was.

“Train? Is that what this thing is called?” Wind interrupted. The Sailor had been staring at his near doppelganger the moment he laid eyes on the young man. There was something strange about him that Wind could not put his finger on, and it made The Sailor nervous.

“Why, yes. This machine is called a train. It’s used with tracks of rails to quickly move people and cargo from one place to another by pulling or pushing carriages or wagons. I’ll admit, I haven’t seen one since leaving my home country,” The Historian explained before turning back to The Engineer.

“Pardon our interruption. We just arrived here in this land and we’re a tiny bit lost. Could you tell us where we are?” The Historian asked gently. The heroes kept silent, remembering how easily The Historian could use his voice to persuade people, and they frequently commented it was akin to coaxing a feral kitten into trusting a new and unfamiliar person.

The Engineer’s nervousness appeared to slightly ebb as he relaxed the grip on his sword, although The Historian noticed the young man relegated his sword hand to the handle of his whip.

“Not sure where you came from, but you’re in New Hyrule,” The Engineer sighed, keeping a wary eye on the others whom he had not conversed with.

“New Hyrule?” Wind asked, his brown eyes meeting The Engineer’s. The sailor’s stomach was filled with butterflies as the young man replied.

“Yup. New Hyrule, and you’re not far from my hometown, Aboda Village,” The Engineer said as he took out an ornate pocket watch that appeared to be made of gold. The cover of the watch was etched with a pattern similar to the guard on The Engineer’s sword, with a triangular shape adorning the center. “Tch. I’m already late. Look, I’m sorry I accosted you, but I must ask you to clear the line. If I don’t make it past the next signal and get out of this block I could be in the way of an opposing train.”

“How far are we from Hyrule Castle Town?” Time asked the young man. The Engineer eyed him suspiciously before answering. “It’s a good way away. You won’t make it there on foot before sundown, but if you simply follow the tracks, you might find lodging for the night at the town of Whittleton. Continue from there and you will eventually make it to Castle Town.” Finishing his answer, The Engineer turned to climb aboard his machine.

“If you’re headed that way, could you give us a lift?” Warriors asked, to which The Engineer shook his head.

“I don’t have a carriage in my consist today, so I don’t have a place for you to ride. Sorry,” The Engineer said.

“If possible, we could ride in your wagons,” The Historian suggested.

“Are you insane? It’s not safe to ride in the wagons, especially if I have to make a sudden stop! Cargo can shift, you could fall out, any number of things! Princess Zelda would take my engineer’s certificate away if I allowed that!” The Engineer said incredulously, but The Historian only smiled.

“I assure you, we won’t be in any mortal danger. I can pay for our passage, but we would like to get to Castle Town quickly. Will you please help us, Engineer?” The Historian pleaded kindly. The Engineer rolled his eyes before giving a groan. “Ohhhh all right… you can ride, but all of my wagons are filled to the brim with cargo. The only place any of you can stand is in the cab with me. Given how many of you there are, it’s going to be a tight fit. You’re going to have to stay out of my way if I need to fire the boiler. And not a word of this to anyone, understand?”

As The Engineer earned nods from the mysterious men, a distant whistle made his face go pale.

“Oh great. We’re too late getting out of the block. And without a siding, that means I’ll have to run reverse all the way back to Aboda to get off the main,” The Engineer groaned. “Well, this day just got worse. It’s dangerous to go fast backwards with a consist this long and this heavy,” The Engineer said as he quickly scrambled onto his machine. “What are you waiting for? We have a train barreling towards us at track speed! If you want a ride, then let’s go!”

The heroes and The Historian jumped into the machine, with Four needing Twilight’s help to get inside. The Engineer quickly pulled three times on a rope cord hanging from the ceiling of the machine’s partially enclosed back, causing the machine to briefly sound a shrill whistle three times in succession and causing the heroes to flinch. No sooner had Twilight hoisted Four off the ground did the train start to roll to life as it backed down the track in the direction of Aboda Village. The Engineer leaned far out the side of the machine to keep an eye on the track ahead of his wagons, his gloved hand carefully positioned on a lever protruding from the metal backside of the machine.

“What’s up, hon?” Warriors whispered into The Historian’s ear after noticing the smaller man watching The Engineer. The Historian seemed more enthusiastic than usual to The Captain.

“His age might not suggest it, but he is an extremely skilled locomotive engineer,” The Historian explained in a hushed voice.

“How can you tell that?” Warriors asked, genuinely curious.

“The position of his hand on the regulator and how he’s making finely tuned adjustments to the locomotive’s power, not to mention how focused he is on the track ahead of us. It might appear easy to an onlooker, but in actuality it is quite challenging to keep a locomotive and its consist steady. All kinds of factors play into what an engineer must do to safely operate a train, such as boiler pressure and knowing when to stoke the fire to create more steam when needed without causing the boiler to explode, or when and how to go about taking slack out of the wagons coupled to his locomotive, which if not kept in check can cause a dangerous derailment. He’s certainly seems well-practiced in his profession, akin to the engineers who operated the trains in my kingdom,” The Historian explained, looking curiously at Warriors’ smile. “What?”

“You. I find it endearing when you start getting excited about things you’re interested in,” Warriors teased, closing his eyes as he snuck a quick peck to the back of The Historian’s neck. “You seem to know quite a lot about these trains, don’t you?” Warriors continued, earning a blush from The Historian. The smaller man was thankful the noise from the locomotive was enough to make it impossible for the others to hear their conversation.

“I mean, I did find them fascinating as a little boy. Even Alex was not sure what to think of my childhood obsession. I just think they’re neat. I read a lot about them whenever I could,” The Historian mumbled.

“So, what are your names?” The Engineer called, raising his voice so he could be heard over the loud chuffing of the machine. Time and the others looked at each other nervously.

“It’s rather complicated. We go by nicknames if that’s alright with you,” Time explained.

“Alright, keep your secrets. No business of mine,” The Engineer chuckled. “So, what are your nicknames?”

“I’m called Time,” the elder hero introduced himself.

“Call me Twilight,” the wolf-pelted rancher followed suit as Wild stepped alongside him. “and this is Wild.”

“I go by Legend,” The Veteran smirked.

“And I’m Hyrule,” The Traveler introduced.

“These guys call me Four,” the smallest hero stated.

“You can call me Sky,” The Chosen Hero politely introduced himself.

“I’m Warriors! You can call me Captain, though,” Warriors said proudly.

“Might want to watch that scarf of yours, Captain. You’re standing a bit close to the firebox and a rogue cinder could catch you on fire,” The Engineer said without looking away from his train. Warriors abruptly moved to the other side of The Historian with a twinge of embarrassment on his cheeks, giving The Historian a giggle that earned him a pout from Warriors. “And your partner there?” The Engineer continued, quickly turning The Historian’s giggling smile upside down as he and Warriors glanced nervously at one another.

“I’m called The Historian, and what do you mean by that?” The Historian huffed. The Engineer rolled his eyes and shook his head without looking at the man.

“When your scarfed friend kissed the back of your neck a second ago, I put two and two together that you blokes are an item. Nothin’ wrong with that, by the way. Love is love and all,” The Engineer said simply, still keeping his eyes trained on the track ahead.

“I-I’m Wind!” Wind spoke with a hint of nervousness in his voice, surprising himself as he extended a hand to The Engineer.

“I’d be happy to shake your hand but right now I gotta keep my focus on the train, Wind,” The Engineer explained, not taking his eyes away from the as he leaned further out to see ahead of a curve. Wind felt a tinge of embarrassment.

“So, what’s your name, Engineer?” Wind asked.

“Me? I’m Link, Royal Engineer at your service,” Link The Engineer replied proudly. His focus on the line ahead prevented Link The Engineer from seeing the shocked looks on his passenger’s faces.

“Ah damn…” The Engineer grumbled as he moved the lever, resulting in a noticeable slowing of the train. “Bunch of wild Bullbos on the line again. I really hope Zelda considers gettin’ walls built to protect the tracks from these things…” The Engineer said as he pulled a rope hanging from the roof of the machine. The group braced themselves, holding their ears as the locomotive released a very loud whistle. Engineer blew the locomotive’s steam whistle repeatedly until he was finally satisfied.

“Alright, that got ‘em away from the tracks so off we go!” Engineer stated as he cracked the regulator open, increasing the train’s speed.

“Wait, so your Link?” Time asked hoping to confirm what they had heard.

“Yes, sir! Been Link all my life!” The Engineer replied.

“So, have you always been an engineer? Have you ever done anything else?” Legend asked.

“Well, there was an incident about four years ago. I was just a kid when it happened. I had just earned my place as a Royal Engineer too, but everythin’ worked out in the end,” The Engineer replied.

“Incident? What sort of incident?” Time asked.

“You mean, you guys didn’t hear about what happened to The Spirit Tracks or The Tower of Spirits? Where you boys been?” For the first time since departing, The Engineer took his eyes off the tracks to briefly look at his passengers, taken aback by their confused faces.

“Wow, you guys really don’ know? I figured everyone, even people outside of New Hyrule, would’ve heard what happened,” The Engineer pondered as he returned to monitoring his train.

“Forgive us, but we are from very far away and we’ve never heard of New Hyrule, let alone been here before,” The Historian explained. “Would you mind telling us about it?” The Engineer sighed before speaking.

“Look, how ‘bout I tell ya once we get to Aboda Village. We can sit down and have some tea with my buddies and talk as much as you’d like. Figure we might as well take a nice rest since I won’t be able to get this train delivered until I can get another track warrant.”

“That sounds lovely. Your accommodations are greatly appreciated,” The Historian replied, earning a chuckle from The Engineer.

“If your boyfriend’s kiss wasn’t enough to tell me about you, the way you talk gives you away every time.”

“W-what?” The Historian stumbled in a manner not like his usual confident self. Warriors and the other heroes stifled their giggles as much as they could as they did not want to catch the ire of their friend.

“You’re way too proper, like you’re nobility or something. Your schooled way of talkin’ made me seriously consider that you liked men. Again, nothing wrong with it, just tellin’ ya why I suspected as much,” The Engineer explained as he adjusted the regulator once more. Before The Historian could rebuke The Engineer’s statement, a curious building came into view. “We’re here!”

The train slowed as it backed into the station, taking refuge on another track that ran off the line they had come from, while the original track continued its way up to the station platform.

“Looks like Alfonzo switched the points for the train behind us. I’ll have to set them to a different track and let the yard office know,” The Engineer explained as he applied the brakes of his locomotive, resulting in loud squealing as the train’s brake blocks engaged.

“Alright, follow me,” The Engineer said as he clambered down off his locomotive. “Real quick, I gotta set a few things so my train won’t roll,” The Engineer explained as he worked quickly to secure his train. The heroes watched as their newest Link quietly and professionally did his task.

“Okay, that outta hold her,” The Engineer said as he wiped grimy sweat from his brow. “You guys stay here by the train while I go throw the switch. Can’t have the train behind us running into mine.” As The Engineer walked off to perform his next task, Legend decided it was time for some amusement.

“Ouch, Historian. Engineer read you like a book,” Legend sneered, causing Wild and Wind to giggle madly. The Historian blushed as he closed his eyes. “I don’t think there’s any problem at all with how I talk. What’s wrong with using proper grammar and enunciation?” he huffed with his arms crossed.

“Were you not listening to him? Apparently, it means the better you talk, the higher the chance you’ll like men,” Legend goaded the man further, causing the others to laugh heartily, including Warriors. “Oh wait, that can’t be right because Warriors likes men but sounds about as educated as a Hinox.” The captain’s expression quickly fell.

“Did you seriously just insult my attraction and my intellect?” Warriors exclaimed defensively as Legend smirked.

“Technically, I didn’t insult your attraction. Just your intellect. But I would argue your existence insults homosexuals and idiots everywhere,” Legend teased.

“Hey, that was uncalled for, Leg,” Hyrule said as he patted his predecessor on his shoulder but was trying desperately to hold back his laughter with a traitorous grin.

“I’d disagree. Take one hard look at The Captain and tell me what men and stupid people would claim him?” Legend jeered.

“Uh, I do? Hello?” The Historian remarked, causing Legend to scoff.

“You don’t count. You’re his boyfriend in the making anyway so you’re biased. Also, congratulations on calling yourself an idiot.” At this point, their companions were in various stages of laughter as Legend continued to tease The Captain and The Historian.

The Engineer lifted a strange metal lever next to the divergent section of track. Flexing his toned arm muscles, The Engineer pushed against the lever, rotating the apparatus and causing the track pieces in the middle to change position, following the line next to the station platform. A distant whistle told him the train was fast approaching.

“I’ll need to get them safely on the platform before it arrives,” The Engineer thought as he ran back to his train. “We need to get up to the platform. Right now. Let’s go.”

The group followed The Engineer across the tracks to the platform just as another long train came screeching to a stop next to them.

“Next stop, the yard office,” The Engineer explained as the group followed him to a quaint little building. Once the yard master was informed of the situation, The Engineer lead the heroes into Aboda Village. The rush of salty sea breeze jostled their hair as The Engineer led them along a path lined by tall palm trees towards one of the small cottages near the seaside. Wind felt at ease from the familiar scents and smells of the ocean, disappointed in the brevity of the moment as The Engineer lead the group inside.

“Niko! Are ya here?” The Engineer called. Wind’s stomach felt as if it performed a somersault. Niko?

“Ah, Link. Back already? That’s your fastest roundtrip to Hyrule Castle yet, young’un. I-“ the old man stopped as he took in each of the other men standing beside The Engineer, his eyes stopping on Wind. The man hobbled with a cane as he walked. Wind’s brown eyes went wide as he observed the man’s garments. A familiar shirt, faded with time but still distinctly striped with red and white, green trousers complemented by brown leather boots and pants that were adorned with a skull-shaped belt buckle. In the old man’s back pocket, a recognizable blue bandana peeked out.

“I-it can’t be…” Niko stammered, nearly losing his balance as Engineer sprinted to support the old man. “I must be seein’ things. Gettin’ senile in my old age, I suppose.” Wind felt as if he were being drawn to the elderly man as he walked slowly forward.

“Niko? Is that really you?” Wind asked in disbelief. Niko’s eyes began to tear up. “L-Link?”

“Niko, it’s me. It’s Link,” Wind whispered as The Engineer scrunched his brow in confusion. “Wait, I thought ya said you go by Wind?”

“My real name… it’s Link. I’m also known as The Hero of Winds.”

Niko began to hyperventilate, letting his cane fall to the floor as he grasped at his chest, prompting the heroes to rush forward.

“We need to get him seated,” The Historian ordered as Twilight and The Engineer sat Niko in a nearby chair. Quickly cupping the man’s hands tightly within his own, The Historian covered Niko’s nose and mouth.

“Listen to me, Niko. I need you to focus on me, okay?” The Historian said calmly, gaining the attention of the elderly man. “Breathe with me. Purse your lips and breathe deeply from your belly. One, two!” The Historian coached the man through cycles of deep breathing and briefly holding their breath until the elderly man could breathe normally.

“T-thank you, young’un. I probably would have died had you not helped me,” Niko wheezed.

“Not a problem, venerable sir. But please, do try to keep yourself calm. Why don’t we all sit down and talk over that tea you were mentioning earlier, Engineer?” The Historian soothed.

“Link… how is this possible? How are you here?” Niko asked with shaking hands. Wind gently took Niko’s hands into his own. The Sailor thumbed over his old friend’s hands, taking in how wrinkly Niko’s skin was now, with dozens of liver spots and small white hairs. He looked into Niko’s face, noticing the former pirate still had the same large nose and naïve looking eyes. His hair had mostly disappeared save for the crown of white around his head. It seemed the passage of time had taken a toll on Niko in body but not in spirit.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but I really am here with you. It’s a bit difficult to explain all of it but know that I came here from the past. It’s an awfully long story, swabbie.” Niko let out a wheezing chuckle.

“I may be old, but I recall I was no longer the swabbie when you came aboard,” Niko smiled. Wind could not help shedding a tear as he gave a hug to his old friend. After giving the two sailors a moment, Warriors stepped beside them.

“Sailor, care to give us all a proper introduction to your friend?” The Captain suggested.

=====

Several hours passed in the little cottage by the sea. In that time, Link The Engineer and Niko had become well acquainted with Wind and his other selves over several kettles of delicious tea. Additionally, Niko found The Historian to be a very enjoyable conversationalist. Now that The Engineer had time to wash his hands and face, the others could clearly see the dusting of freckles adorning his face.

“You’d be surprised, my friend, at how just a few years back my roomie here looked like the spittin’ image of you. He was so young and adorable when he first earned his Royal Engineer’s Certificate. You can imagine how much he wanted to impress Princess Zelda at that time. He’s only started to look less like you as he began growing. I’d imagine he is what you will look like when you age a few more years. Look! Even his freckles started to show a bit more!” The Engineer’s freckles began to blend into his embarrassed blush.

“Niko! Could ya stOP?!” The Engineer clasped his hands to his mouth at the sound of his voice cracking. Niko gave a knowing chuckle at his roommate’s embarrassment.

“What? I’m telling you, you looked just like my friend here!” Niko repeated, causing both Wind and The Engineer to blush. Wind felt sorry for The Engineer, as he was well aware of how embarrassing it was to have your voice cracking in front of people.

“So, let me understand if I have you blokes, right,” The Engineer spoke, ignoring Niko. “Each of you is an incarnation of some hero’s spirit chosen by some goddess from some kingdom way back when, and now you’re here by random chance and are searchin’ for the hero of this land to join you in figurin’ out why these dark portals are appearin’.”

“That’s right,” Time replied behind his cup. “We believe if Hylia lead us to this era, it must mean there’s another hero who she intends to have join us in resolving this problem and to protect Hyrule across time.”

“Well, if you’re looking for a hero in this era then look no further! Link here is a fine hero!” Niko chuckled warmly, causing the group to turn their eyes towards The Engineer, who was bright red from the attention.

“N-Nikoooo!” The Engineer whined in frustration. “Stop spouting that nonsense!” Niko jumped to his feet in a surprising moment of spryness as he pointed the bottom end of his cane into The Engineer’s face.

“It is not nonsense, young man!” Niko said, taking The Engineer and Wind aback with his abrupt sternness. “You ARE a hero! You and Princess Zelda saved this land and its people from the resurrection of Malladus! Why do you think you were gifted the Lokomo Sword for your bravery?” Niko pointed to the sword still strapped to The Engineer’s back as he spoke.

“Niko, what’s the Lokomo Sword?” Wind asked. “It sounds similar to my Phantom Sword.”

“A mystical blade bestowed to Link by the Lokomo Tribe, a band of chosen guardians who until recently were charged by The Spirits of Good to watch over this land that became New Hyrule. With Malladus slain by Link and Princess Zelda using that sword, The Lokomo Tribe entrusted the protection of this land to them.”

“I’m just an engineer, Niko! That’s all I want in life! No more of this hero business!” The Engineer huffed before stomping outside, leaving his roommate and the others behind as he slammed the door shut.

“Sorry, my friend. I guess I should have been more tactful with him. Still, he seems so opposed to being acknowledged as the great hero he is. We would all be under Malladus’ thumb if it weren’t for his deeds,” Niko sighed. “To be honest, he’s not been quite the same since his adventure. Although Alfonzo and I have tried to talk to him, to give Link someone to confide in, I don’t think it’s something neither of us can comprehend, but perhaps you heroes can understand what he’s gone through given you’ve all been through similar trials.” Niko’s wizened eyes looked around the room of heroes, noticing how each seemed to go quiet and pensive at his words. Even his old friend from his pirate days seemed temporarily lost in thought.

“I’ve watched over him since he was a newborn, you know,” Niko continued, regaining the heroes’ attention. “He never knew his parents. One stormy day, he was left on my doorstep, wrapped up in a thicket blanket and nestled in a picnic basket with a note asking to take care of him, the only other information the note gave me was his name. So, I took Link in and before I knew it, he was growing up before my eyes.”

“Definitely sounds like one of us,” Sky replied quietly.

“Tell me about it,” Twilight remarked.

“What a cruel trick of fate to torment the hero’s spirit like this…” Time lamented, recalling how confusing and how pained he felt when the Deku Tree Sprout revealed his Hylian origins after his exploration of the Forest Temple.

Legend said nothing as he dwelled on his thoughts with a growing frown.

“Seems those with the spirit of the hero are prone to start life with some kind of sad beginning,” The Historian commented.

“Not all of us,” Four replied as thoughts of his grandfather and his Zelda flooded his collective mind.

“I have to agree with Four. I promise I’m not gloating when I say this, but I cannot say I faced hardship at an early age in life,” Warriors admitted.

“Would you gentlemen do this old man a favor? Can you go talk to him for me?” Niko requested.

“I concur with Niko’s request. As Heroes of Hyrule, each of you are suited to understanding how The Engineer feels. I think if we are to succeed in having him join us on this little adventure, you’ll need to break him out of his metaphorical shell,” The Historian complemented.

“What about you?” Sky asked.

“Me? You already know that I am no hero, Sky. No, I don’t believe it’s my place to speak to a hero about what aspects of his exploits trouble his mind. Heroes that understand what he is going through is who he needs right now.”

=====

Wind lead the other heroes outside to look for The Engineer. After several minutes of searching high and low in Aboda Village, they found their wayward hero talking to a man upon the station platform. Wind nearly fell over when he could see the man up close.

“Gonzo?!” The Sailor gasped, earning a strange look from The Engineer and the man.

“Gonzo? Ha! That was my great-grandfather’s name from nearly a century ago! Him and Old Man Niko were in the same pirate crew back in the day!” the man responded as he extended his hand. Wind was flabbergasted at how similar Gonzo and this man appeared.

“I’m Alfonzo. Royal Engineer and the mentor of this guy here!” the aforementioned man slapped The Engineer’s shoulder, who scoffed as he turned away.

“Hey, um, Engineer?” Wind approached.

“If you’re going to talk about hero stuff, I’m not interested.”

“C’mon, mate. Don’t be like this!” Wind said with annoyance rising in his voice.

“What would YOU know?! You’re not even from this time period! You’re supposed to be dead! We never were supposed to meet like this!” The Engineer seethed as his hands shook with anger. Alfonzo held a shocked and confused expression at The Engineer’s outburst but chose to keep quiet.

“But we do know! We understand exactly how it felt!” Wind shot back. The other heroes found it a bit amusing to see two of their own that looked remarkably alike arguing with one another. Four felt he could relate to this exchange a little too well.

“I really don’t care. I’d rather forget all of it and just go back to living my life as a simple engineer. That’s it,” The Engineer huffed.

“But Link, we need your help,” Sky pleaded gently. “If you don’t join us, all of our homes and loved ones will be in danger. That includes yours too!”

“Look, I’m sorry about what Niko said, but I’m no hero. So, please just drop it, alright?”

“So, what are you going to do? Run away like a snot-nosed brat?” Legend stepped forward with irritation evident upon his features.

“And what’s it to you? Why should I even bother with the likes of you?” The Engineer spat. Before The Veteran could speak, The Engineer jumped down to the tracks, running in the direction of his locomotive.

“Link, wait! Don’t you dare move that train!” Alfonzo called. “I apologize for my friend, you guys. I don’t know what’s going with him or what you guys are talking about but let me try to talk some sense into him.” The man hurried to stop The Engineer, leaving the group of heroes standing on the platform.

“Well, that went well…” Warriors concluded, earning a glare from Legend that he gazed right back.

“I think we may have made our job inadvertently harder with that little exchange,” Time sighed.

“Yeah, if The Vet could’ve kept his smart mouth shut, Engineer wouldn’t have run off!” Wind hissed.

“Like you were having any better luck, bleeding heart!” Legend threw back at The Sailor.

“So, what do we do now?” Hyrule asked, raising his voice in hopes of drowning out Legend and Wind’s bickering.

“I doubt he’ll want to talk with us anymore for the time being. Let’s head back to Niko’s and figure out a plan while he cools off,” Time replied.

=====

“Link, you really should go apologize to them,” Alfonzo said sternly to The Engineer leaning against the cab wall of the locomotive. Alfonzo sat opposite to him on the wooden floor of the cab leaning against the cab side.

“I don’t think so, Alf. Besides, they started it. I’ve had enough. ‘Hero’ this and ‘hero’ that! Why won’t everyone just leave me be!” The Engineer shouted. Admitting defeat to his stubborn friend, Alfonzo got to his feet.

“Fine. I’ll leave you be, but I’m prohibiting you from moving this train a single inch. I am also informing the Yard Master and the Station Master that you are not fit to be given a track warrant until further notice.” Alfonzo knew this would catch Link’s attention, as the hero’s expression changed to panic.

“What? Why?!” The Engineer shouted.

“Because you’re too stressed to be behind the throttle of a locomotive right now. Our job is not for the faint of heart, Link! It’s a dangerous job! You must be in better control of your emotions or else you endanger your passengers, your cargo, and yourself! Until you prove to me you can get a handle on things, you’ll not be permitted to take charge of any trains!” Alfonzo said with finality as he clambered down off Link’s locomotive to head towards the yard office, leaving Link to sulk in the cab.

The Engineer felt on the verge of tears as he hugged himself, letting himself fall against the wall of the cab until he was seated on the floor of his locomotive.

“Why?... I just want to do my job. I don’t want to do anymore ‘hero’ business. I want it to end…” The Engineer began to sob.

“Excuse me. Mind if I join you?”

The Engineer jumped to his feet in fright from the unexpected voice, his hand tightly wrapped around the grip of his Lokomo Sword. He turned to see The Historian poking his head into the opposite side of the cab. Not waiting for The Engineer’s answer, the man made his way into the cab.

“Leave me alone. Can’t you see I’m not in the mood to be around any of you?” The Engineer growled, causing The Historian let out a sigh.

“I assume my friends were less than tactful in speaking to you. For that, I am sorry. They can come off a bit strong sometimes,” The Historian smiled warmly as he sat opposite The Engineer. “So, want to tell me what this is all about? From what I understand, the people who care about you told me it isn’t like you to be so broody and upset. Is something bothering you?” The Engineer felt a hint of intimidation from the kind but intense gaze of The Historian’s differently colored eyes, as if they were searching him for something deeper.

“If it’s hero stuff you want to talk about, then you might as well leave,” The Engineer huffed.

“Very well, we don’t have to talk about hero stuff. What do you want to talk about?” The Historian inquired calmly, taking The Engineer by surprise.

“Nothing. Nothing at all,” The Engineer said shortly as he turned away from the man.

“Very well. We don’t have to talk. I do have but one question though if you’ll humor me. Just one,” The Historian said quietly.

“What now?” The Engineer replied.

“Do you like music?” The Historian asked. The Engineer blinked at the rather random question.

“I-um… yeah, I guess so. Why?”

“Do you play any instruments, by chance?” The Historian continued.

“I-I learned how to play the pan flute when I…” The Engineer stopped himself from finishing the sentence. “Never mind, here, let me show you something.” The Engineer produced a small key from the inside of his shirt, using it to unlock a small compartment in the cab that was situated a safe distance from the firebox of his locomotive. The Historian watched as The Engineer produced an ornate and multicolored pan flute.

“This is something important to me. It’s called the Spirit Flute, a gift to the Hyrulean Royal Family from the Lokomo Tribe back during the founding of New Hyrule. It’s technically Princess Zelda’s family heirloom, but she lets me borrow it for long periods of time,” The Engineer explained with fondness in his voice. The Historian noted the soft look The Engineer had in his eyes when observing the flute.

“I must say, it’s a beautiful instrument,” The Historian complimented. “Can you play me some tunes?”

The Engineer’s chocolate eyes twinkled as he smiled. A tinge of a blush adorned The Engineer’s freckled cheeks. “I-I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”

“I would be honored to hear your performance, Link,” The Historian replied, giving the young hero his full attention. The Engineer felt nervous with an audience as he put the flute to his lips. The tune he began playing echoed around the locomotive cab. The pan flute gave a sense of peace with the beautiful and somewhat haunting melody. The Historian watched respectfully as The Engineer was engulfed in his performance, smiling at the young man acting very much like himself when he played music.

The Engineer finished his melody with a pensive look upon his brow but was brought out of his musing by polite clapping from the man sitting near him.

“Bravo, Link. You’re quite talented with that flute. May I ask what the melody is called?”

“The Song of Healing,” The Engineer mumbled, keeping his eyes trained at the flute in his lap. His ears twitched at the sound of another instrument. Looking up in astonishment, The Historian was on his feet with a beautiful black and white violin in his hand. As the strings cried each note of the melody, The Engineer could feel a sense of relief, like an immense weight was being lifted off him one small note at a time. He noticed The Historian had his eyes closed completely, fully engrossing himself in his music. The Engineer could only sit in awe of the masterful performance as The Historian’s final note came off the violin’s strings.

“What did you think?” The Historian smiled down at the young man.

“It was… wonderful…” The Engineer exhaled. “What’s it called?”

“Well, in my homeland it’s known as The Requiem for The Departed, but in some of my friend’s Hyrules, this melody is known by another name, a name shared with the very different melody you just played for me. It’s The Song of Healing.”

“Really?” The Engineer said in surprise.

“Indeed. Shall we play something together? I’m finding this quite enjoyable,” The Historian suggested.

=====

For several minutes, The Historian and The Engineer played their respective instruments, sometimes taking turns performing for one another with different melodies and at other times attempting to perform a duet of sorts with their vastly different instruments.

“Hey, Historian. I wanna play somethin’ for ya,” The Engineer mumbled, sounding a bit more cheerful. The Historian suspected some of the young man’s calmness from before seemed to be returning as he played blew into his flute once more. The Historian listened respectfully as the young man played, swaying in rhythm to the sounds of the flute. The Engineer was completely in his own world as he played his flute, temporarily not present in front of The Historian. As he finished the performance, The Engineer looked down pensively at the flute as The Historian applauded him.

“That was wonderful, Link. What was that melody called?”

“When fully orchestrated it’s called The Songs of Restoration. Most would just call them The Lokomo Songs,” The Engineer spoke softly as he explained.

“It was beautiful. It gave the feeling of being a sacred melody, if I may say so,” The Historian replied. The Engineer nodded.

“During the final battle with Malladus, Zelda and I played this melody as a duet, with her singin’ along with my flute playing. The Lokomo Tribe members were also there and joined in with their instruments. Our combined playing allowed the melody to weaken Malladus, giving Zelda and I the chance to finish the beast off.”

“Sounds like it was a tough battle,” The Historian mentioned, noticing The Engineer’s crestfallen face as the boy set the flute down to wrap his arms around himself. Although it was warm in the cab due to the firefox, The Engineer was shivering.

“Link, may I sit next to you?” The Historian whispered gently. A trembling nod granted him permission as The Historian situated himself beside the young man, wrapping an arm comfortingly around The Engineer’s shoulders. Before the man could say anything further, The Engineer buried his face in The Historian’s shirt, sobbing while tightly holding onto the older man. The Historian gingerly removed The Engineer’s cap to stroke the young man’s hair.

“It’s alright, let all of that out…” The Historian soothed. For several minutes, The Historian held The Engineer in his arms as the young man cried, evidence of something having weighed in the young hero’s heart for some time.

“S-sorry, oh spirits this is e-embarrassin’…” The Engineer mumbled as he wiped his cheeks.

“Don’t be embarrassed. It was obvious you needed that,” The Historian said as he produced a handkerchief for The Engineer to use. “Would you like to talk about what has kept you so upset?”

“I-I don’t know. I’m not even sure if explainin’ it to you would even help,” The Engineer mumbled.

“You’ll come to find I’m quite the listener. I listen to my… well, person-“

“Boyfriend.”

“We’re not-“

“Who are you two tryin’ to pull the wool over?” The Engineer huffed. “You and that scarfed guy might have those other guys convinced but I’m not buyin’ it. I’m callin’ it how I see it.”

“FINE. My… boyfriend,” The Historian continued with a blush. “Talk about all kinds of things. Having me there to listen helps him on difficult nights.” The man noticed how this statement appeared to hold Link’s attention.

“What makes his nights so bad?” The Engineer asked quietly.

“Warriors is a hero, like you.” The Engineer scoffed as The Historian continued. “He is also a war veteran, having led scores of troops into battle in a conflict that plagued Hyrule in his era and he lost many people that were dear to him. Even now, he struggles with bad dreams and terrible memories from those days. Since we’ve been… together, he seems to be doing much better but on occasion I still find myself rousing him out of a fit and comforting him until he calms down.” The Historian’s gaze became more piercing as he continued. “You’ll do well not to mention that to anyone, am I understood?”

The Engineer gulped as he nodded nervously, mentally noting that this gentlemanly person was heavily intimidating when he wanted to be.

“Having traveled with them for some time now, I’ve noticed all the Heroes of Hyrule seem to carry a weight in their hearts long after their quest to save their beloved kingdom has come to an end. Perhaps bringing all of you together is Hylia’s way of bringing some form of comfort and mutual understanding to you heroes. After all, who can comprehend the hero’s burden better than another hero who had to do similar deeds?”

The Engineer looked down at his lap, wondering what The Historian was getting at. He did not have much time to think before The Historian posed him a question.

“Link, be honest with me. Do you have nightmares from when you journeyed to save this land?”

The Engineer’s breath hitched as he whispered meekly.

“It never ends… the bad dreams, the awful things I saw. My worst fears come to life every time I sleep.”

Looking more closely at The Engineer’s face, The Historian mentally cursed himself for not seeing it sooner as he observed the bags under the young man’s eyes.

“It just never stops! I hate it! I wish I was never chosen to be a hero!” The Engineer’s voice gradually rose as he spoke until he was screaming while fresh tears began to pour down his freckled cheeks. A pair of strong arms pulled The Engineer close.

“I understand…”

“No, you don’t! How could you possibly understand what I go through? You’re not even a hero!” The Engineer lashed out. The young man’s cries paused, replaced by a confused look as he saw a sad smile grace The Historian’s face.

“Oh, but trust me, I do. I too, have my own baggage from my past. Everyone does, it’s just that some people’s baggage is much heavier. That’s not a sign of weakness. That’s merely life as it is dealt,” The Historian explained softly. Seeing that The Engineer still looked confused, the man continued.

“As you can tell, I am not Hylian. Don’t have the ears for it,” The Historian chuckled as he pointed to his rounded ears. “I did something truly atrocious in my homeland. Our royal family waged a war that threatened the entire world, Hyrule included. I did the only thing I felt I could do to stop the bloodshed. I sealed away my own kingdom into another realm, along with everyone in it. I don’t know if my country could survive on its own on the other side of that rift but I was not concerned with that at the time. What I did was wrong, regardless of the result. I have my nights where its all Warriors can do to comfort me until I can sleep peacefully. Sometimes, he’s up all night long taking care of me just so I can get some rest.”

The Historian blinked at the shocked expression The Engineer was giving him.

“You… destroyed your own kingdom?” The Engineer said breathlessly, eyes going wider as The Historian gave a silent nod.

“I hold no pride in what I did. But what’s done is done and I have to live with that. That is why, despite stopping a global war, I do not call myself a hero. I’ve no right to that,” The Historian lamented. “But you on the other hand, have done nothing but courageous deeds. You saved this kingdom from certain doom when it is quite certain no one else could. I genuinely believe you’d benefit from coming with us and helping us put a stop to whatever is plaguing Hyrule across space-time. It might even help you to manage the turmoil in your heart,” The Historian finished.

The Engineer said nothing as he stayed seated on the floor, not reacting to The Historian getting to his feet.

“Why don’t you tell me more about your locomotive? I’ll admit, I know a lot, but I don’t have the wisdom an experienced engineer has,” The Historian asked, unable to hide a boyish enthusiasm in his tone.

“Sure!” The Engineer said, his depression drowning in his growing excitement.

=====

“Oh, where did he go?” Warriors groaned, earning an amused chuckle from Niko.

“He’s an enigma, that one. I can tell he’s got a kind soul, but he seems to keep a lot of things close to the chest,” the elderly pirate commented.

“You don’t know the half of it…” Warriors deadpanned. Niko was correct, though. There were still secrets upon secrets when it came to The Historian, including his real name. Would he ever be able to break down those walls and know everything about his person?

“The Historian knows we don’t have time for this,” Time grumbled impatiently as he sipped on his tea.

“Wait… listen. Is that them?” Hyrule asked. Moments later, Niko’s door opened to reveal the two missing men, arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders and talking excitedly.

“So, you mean to tell me I can get more power out of my locomotive if I get it one of these ‘severe-heaters?’” The Engineer asked.

“A ‘superheater’ and yes, but your locomotive’s boiler and other components might have to be modified to handle the increase in heat and steam pressure. Here, let me draw a rough schematic so you can have a visual aid,” The Historian replied, ignoring the confused looks of everyone in the room as he pulled out a scrap of paper from a nearby shelf. Taking a special writing utensil from his travel bag, The Historian began to draw the basic shape of a steam locomotive in decent detail. The other heroes, knowing to keep silent when The Historian is explaining something, joined Niko to watch the man work.

“As I explained earlier, a superheater is a device that converts saturated, or ‘wet’ steam from a boiler into superheated or ‘dry’ steam. Although maintenance on the locomotive will be more laborious, the benefits of additional power and reduced use of water and coal will outweigh the cost of maintenance. This is made possible by essentially heating the steam multiple times using special tubes heated by the firebox,” The Historian carefully explained, outlining what this meant on the paper.

“You think something like this can be fitted on my locomotive?” The Engineer asked.

“Certainly, but it would require careful planning and design by an experienced mechanical engineer that specializes in steam locomotives. They would need to perform an honest assessment of your locomotive as it is right now to determine if other upgrades would be required to handle superheated steam,” The Historian continued.

“Why hasn’t anyone in our kingdom thought of this yet?” The Engineer pouted.

“Perhaps it hasn’t been the right moment in your Hyrule’s history, or perhaps with my arrival I’m planting the seeds of its inception in your era. Know that in my homeland, all locomotives had already been equipped with superheaters because of the advantages they gave our country’s railroads to move passengers and freight, especially during…” The Historian’s reply went silent. Already knowing what his person was alluding to, Warriors quietly rubbed a comforting hand on the smaller man’s shoulder.

“Ah never mind about that. Anyway, I’ll let you have this drawing. Perhaps if you can find a well-trained engineer who has the means to build this you can get your locomotive upgraded,” the man said as he passed the completed drawing to The Engineer.

“Th-thanks! It’s really cool that you know about all this stuff!” The Engineer said happily.

“Years and years of studying and keen observation,” The Historian said with a bit of exhaustion behind his voice.

“Link…”

The Engineer turned around to meet Niko’s stare.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you back when you had to take up the sword. I further regret not being the source of comfort and understanding you needed when you came back,” Niko said quietly.

“It… wasn’t your fault, Niko. And I’m sorry too. I didn’t realize how badly I was treating you and Alfonzo. I just didn’t see it because I was wallowing in my own misery, thinking no one could understand me. But I was wrong. These blokes get it better than anyone ever will,” The Engineer replied, gesturing to the others before hugging the elderly pirate.

“So, will you be going with them?” a voice spoke.

Everyone startled to see Alfonzo standing in the doorway, his look serious as he awaited The Engineer’s answer.

“Well, I am The Hero of Spirits. It’s my duty to protect New Hyrule, and if going with these guys means I can stop whatever is threatening our kingdom then so be it.”


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Heroes stumble upon the verdant fields of another Hyrule, where strange machines run along stranger ribbons of steel that crisscross the land. If it isn't any of their kingdoms, then whose is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of this sidefic! Seeing more Engineer!Link art from the amazing [@snowylynxx](https://snowylynxx.tumblr.com/) and [@larrytheflute9](https://larrytheflute9.tumblr.com/) made me want to finally finish this sidefic up! I've decided to officially consider this sidefic merged into my main fic, but in a future installment yet to be written (Engineer will just show up so that will tell you which arcs of my main fic this sidefic fit between). Here are some more inspirational Engineer!Link art that gave me the motivation to finish this fic!
> 
> [@larrytheflute9's Princess Zelda and Engineer!Link](https://larrytheflute9.tumblr.com/post/638724686869626880/spirit-tracks)
> 
> [@snowylynxx's redraw of the final battle Zelda and Engineer!Link](https://snowylynxx.tumblr.com/post/638339048800468992/spirit-tracks-redraw-using-my-lu-design-for-link)
> 
> Please take time to appreciate these two artists. Drop them a like and a comment on their wonderful Engineer!Link/Spirit Tracks fanart!

“Well, I am The Hero of Spirits. It’s my duty to protect New Hyrule, and if going with these guys means I can stop whatever is threatening our kingdom then so be it.”

Everyone looked at Engineer, his determined and confident demeanor evident on his youthful, freckled face. Alfonzo felt pride swelling in his chest. Taking a hard look at the boy, he noticed how the last traces of baby fat were quickly leaving Link’s cherub cheeks, the adolescent’s arms and legs were filling out with lean muscle, especially evident from the past year. Alfonzo sighed at the changes he saw in his protégé, no longer viewing Link as the child he mentored but the man the young engineer was rapidly becoming.

“I’m glad to hear that, Link. You must promise me you’ll be careful out there. Don’t get reckless and remember your sword practice, alright? We want you coming home in one piece,” the older man demanded as he shook hands with Link, noting how much firmer Link’s grip was nowadays.

“I’ll mind your locomotive for you. Don’t worry about a thing,” Alfonzo added.

“Nah I’m not worried about her. She’s in good hands,” Link replied with a toothy grin. “Oh, Alfonzo! Do you think you could look over these drawings The Historian gave me? It’s for a severe-heater-“

“Superheater,” The Historian corrected.

“Superheater, for the locomotive. Supposed to make her more powerful and use less fuel,” Engineer explained. The taller man looked at the drawing with a curious expression.

“Hmmm. Well, if the basic design is here, I’m sure I can come up with something. Leave it to me, Link.” Alfonzo replied, earning a joyful smile.

“Really? Thank you!” Engineer beamed.

“Now then, I think you should speak to Zelda about your new journey. I’m sure she’ll want to meet your new companions before you take off,” Niko suggested, earning a nod of compliance from Engineer.

“Well, Hero of Spirits, I think we should make our way to Castle Town. Perhaps we should use your locomotive and a carriage,” The Historian suggested. “Alfonzo should come with us so he can bring the train back here if we end up leaving your Hyrule from Castle Town.”

“Good idea. Alfonzo, would you mind?” Engineer asked.

“Not at all, but you’ll need a track warrant first. Give me a few minutes with the yard master. I’ll meet you guys at the station.”

=====

“Wow, so this is what it’s like to actually ride on a train,” Wind commented. The group was sitting in a comfortable rail car meant for transporting people around New Hyrule. Hyrule, Legend, and Sky were seated together with Sky’s forehead leaned against the window. Hyrule had his head on Legend’s shoulder while The Veteran was doing the same to Sky. All three heroes had succumbed to the gentle pitching of the carriage as it rolled down the track, gently snoozing for the others to smile at. Time watched quietly as fields and trees passed, occasionally checking on Twilight and Wild napping together in the opposite seat. Warriors and Historian cuddled together as they watched the scenery with Wind and Four, the occasional hushed giggle emanating from the two men.

“Indeed. This is bringing back memories from my homeland. Dozens of trains running day and night,” The Historian replied to The Sailor.

“Why don’t you tell us a little more about your country?” Four inquired.

“Maybe another day. I’m just not feeling up to talking about it all that much.”

“You heroes need to promise me something…”

Time and the others still awake looked up at Alfonzo.

“Promise me you’ll look after Link. He’s a good kid. Strong one at that. The journey he went on a few years ago, and the things he had to endure, gave him that strength. It made him grow, but it also took a lot from him, mostly that childhood excitement and innocence that’s easily lost with age. Since you guys came around, I’ve noticed he’s started to show a little bit of that side of himself again, so I think this new quest will be good for him and for New Hyrule. Just protect him and make sure he comes home. For Niko and me, okay?”

“You have nothing to worry about, Alfonzo. We’ll take good care of him,” Time replied with a warm smile.

“We look after each other like family. We really are family when you think about it, sharing a spirit and all. Besides, in addition to us he has The Historian watching and let’s just say he’s rather protective of us, like a mother hen,” Warriors cheeked, earning a deadpan frown from his person. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

“It’s true but don’t be broadcasting that I’m kind. I have a reputation of indifference to keep, after all,” The Historian quipped back. Warriors stuck out his tongue in reply.

“I know where you sleep.”

“I certainly hope you would. Besides, I learned from you to never underestimate my opponent.”

“You two banter like an old married couple,” Alfonzo chuckled, not noticing the sudden blush on the men’s cheeks as they look in opposite directions. Four and Wind giggled under their breath.

=====

“Link! Good to see you again! It’s been a while since you last came to visit!”

“Hey, Zelda. Sorry I’ve been kinda busy,” Engineer said with a sheepish smile. “Lots going on an’ all.”

The princess, as with any other mortal incarnation of Hylia, held everyone’s attention with her beauty. Her golden blonde hair extended down to the middle of her back, while her white and pink dress exuded royalty. Zelda pulled Engineer into a tight hug, completely lacking royal decorum, and taking no notice to the intense blush on the hero’s cheeks. “I’ve missed you!”

“I-I’ve missed you too!” Engineer replied, failing to suppress the contented grin on his face. “I, uh, have some people I’d like you to meet.”

The others were looking about the throne room. Wind noticed a familiar garb on the guards but said nothing.

“These are, uh, the Heroes of Hyrule from other times…” Engineer said slowly, unsure of how to explain everything to his princess.

“Wait, what?” Zelda questioned with confusion marring her face. Each hero made his introduction, with Wind waiting to be last.

“I’m Wind,” the youngest hero spoke gently, nervous as to what this Zelda would say.

“Pleased to meet all of you!” Zelda replied. Engineer looked between Zelda and Wind with his brow twisted in deep thought. Engineer’s intense stare made Wind nervous.

“Are you okay, Engineer? You’re staring…” Wind asked. The other Link did not answer as he seemed to search Wind’s face for some answer to an unknown question.

“Ah! Now I know why you look so familiar! I can’t believe I didn’t see it before!” Engineer exclaimed, earning attention from his Zelda and everyone else in the room. “You’re Zelda’s grandpa!”

The silence of the room contrasted heavily with the tension in the air. Wind’s face went deep red while his eyes widened with shock. The others looked at Wind with various levels of shock and amusement, most notably from Warriors, Four, and Legend.

“Now that you mention it, you do look a lot like the photographs of my grandfather from his youth…” Zelda pondered aloud before it finally hit her. “Wait! GRANDPA!?” The group flinched at the echo of Zelda’s screech.

Wind looked like he wanted to disappear into the floor, embarrassed but not sure why <. The banter from the others was not helping to alleviate his mood.

“Would you look at that! Looks like we have proof our sailor did find a girl!” Warriors chuckled. “Tell me, Princess, who was your grandmother?”

“Her name was Tetra. She was a pirate captain who discovered this land and founded New Hyrule,” Zelda explained, causing Wind to let out a squeak of despair. The laughter coming from the other heroes echoed in his head until a firm hand grasped his shoulder. The Historian gave him a warm smile.

“Naturally, meeting future descendants is to be expected when traveling through wormholes in space-time. But we must be careful with certain questions,” The Historian explained, giving a look at Warriors who suddenly stopped laughing. “It can be an extremely dangerous thing, foreknowledge. Let’s stay focused on our mission, yes?”

“Your Highness!” a guard yelled as he rushed into the throne room.

“What is it?” Zelda inquired, taken aback by the urgency in her guard’s voice.

“It’s unbelievable, but Chancellor Cole has returned! He’s at the Castle Town gates!” the guard panted.

“Cole is back?!” Engineer gasped.

“He’s not alone! Strange creatures have joined him! They’re intent on destroying Castle Town!”

“We must protect the townspeople and get them to safety!” Zelda replied. She turned her attention promptly to the group of heroes. “Will you join me in defeating Cole and his minions once and for all, heroes?” She smiled happily when the group all gave a nod of agreement.

“Captain. You and your men get the townspeople to safety. There is a path to the Tower of Spirits behind the castle that you can use. Make haste and go!” the princess ordered as the captain of her guard raced to gather his men.

“Time to show us what you can do, Engineer,” The Historian winked as the group of men made their way to Castle Town’s gates.

=====

“Heeheeheee…. I’ll make you pay for what you did to me princess… very dearly you’ll pay… and that wretched engineer too…” an impish creature with two horns and bright red hair muttered loudly as he entered Castle Town, his beady black eyes scanning all around the quickly deteriorating city. A hoard of dark creatures answered his call to attack everything in sight, relishing the screams of the terrified townsfolk.

“Yes… scream, you insects! I shall wipe New Hyrule off the face of this world! Nothing shall be left standing!” Cole yelled as his creatures chased two young children down the stone-paved street, not flinching when his monsters were slain by a barrage of arrows.

“That’s as far as you and your hoard will go,” called a voice.

Cole turned to see a large gathering of men of various sizes and ages. One of the men in a blue tunic with a blade pattern was helping the young children to their feet as the others glared at the imp. Looking over his enemies, Cole noticed Princess Zelda and the engineer among them.

“Ah princess… how good to see you once again. You being here will make it easier for me to kill you and end this pathetic excuse for a kingdom!” Cole turned his gaze to Engineer. “And you boy, I will take my time killing you. I want to make you suffer the same pain you inflicted upon me and Master Malladus with that blade! I’ll be ramming it into your skull when I am done with you!” Cole seethed, his voice rising to a fury as his minions reacted to his anger. With brute swiftness, the hoard charged the group.

Immediately, the heroes engaged the creatures, dispatching beast after beast with efficient prowess. The group found Engineer’s agility impressive as it was nearly on par with Wind’s despite Engineer’s larger size.

“Bravo, Engineer! You’re not bad at all!” called Warriors as he fended off a blow from a creature. Engineer blushed at the compliment as he impaled another creature with the Lokomo Sword.

“Thank-Ahh!” Engineer had no time to react as a monster grappled him from behind but was quickly released as the creature fell dead. Engineer turned to see The Historian with two swords in his hand.

“Always, keep your back guarded, Engineer,” the man smiled as he turned to engage more creatures attempting to slip past towards the castle.

=====

The heroes were beginning to feel fatigued as the battle dragged out. They observed that for every monster they slay, at least three more were conjured by Cole to resume the fight. Zelda stood back, waiting for her chance to find a way to assist the heroes defending her kingdom.

“Now then, my dear…”

Zelda turned to see Cole standing right behind her with a dagger to her chest.

“Let’s end this shall we?” the imp said, a malicious grin adoring his face.

“Princess!” Engineer yelled as he frantically tried to make his way to Zelda, but several monsters barred his way.

“ZELDA!”

“Wisdom, incinerate them with a barrage of bolts…”

Everyone flinched, shutting their eyes as bright flashes of light accompanied the roar of thunder. Residual crackles of electricity could be heard in the air around them as the heroes looked up to see many of the monsters immediately vanish in a burst of black smoke. Anything wooden in the vicinity was charred or ignited. Engineer turned to see The Historian bringing down the blade in his left hand.

“WARN SOMEONE NEXT TIME, HISTORIAN!” Legend bellowed irritably. His indignation was ignored by the man as he addressed Engineer.

“What are you waiting for, Engineer? GO!”

Engineer charged at the Princess and Cole, determined to protect Zelda.

“I don’t think so, rat!” Cole screamed, stabbing at Zelda but surprised as the dagger in his hand stopped just short of its target.

“Gah!”

An arrow struck the dagger in Cole’s hand as the blade went flying. Cole noticed the blue tunic-wearing man from earlier holding a bow and smirking triumphantly.

“Let’s keep this between you and me, Cole,” Engineer sneered as he took his stance between the imp and Zelda.

“Oh please, you pathetic fool. You think you’re a match for my power?”

“We killed you and Malladus combined. I think I’m good,” Engineer jeered back as he charged, swiping at the surprisingly spry imp. Engineer dodged as Cole flung balls of dark energy at the hero.

“You think I’ll let you use the same tricks on me as last time? Ha! You’re more naïve than I could’ve ever imagined!” Cole spat as he sent a huge blast of magical energy towards Engineer.

“Look out!” Wind yelled as he pushed Engineer to the ground.

“AHHH!”

Cole’s blast struck the sailor, sending the boy into a nearby cart and rendering Wind unconscious.

“Wind!” Twilight yelled, racing to check the young hero.

“Sailor!” Warriors screamed, frantically running alongside Twilight.

Engineer felt as if time had slowed down while he watched Twilight and Warriors unsuccessfully rouse his newly found predecessor, his urgent heartbeat pounding in his ears. Something began to well up within him, something angry, something protective, as he turned to face Cole once more.

“What? Worried about your scrawny little friend who saved you? He’s just as pathetic as you are!” Cole hissed.

“I don’t know how you came back, Cole, and I don’t care. But you will pay for hurting him and for threatening Zelda and this time you won’t come back,” Engineer said quietly. Lacking hesitation, Engineer charged Cole as fast as he could. Taken off-guard with Engineer’s quickness, Cole stumbled backwards as he launched another barrage of dark energy blasts. Engineer, with full faith in his blade, sliced every dark energy blast as he sped through, sending the blasts careening to either side of him as he rushed Cole, who was wide-eyed at Engineer’s strength. Before the imp could retaliate, Engineer’s Lokomo Sword found itself buried in Cole’s forehead.

“Die and stay dead, demon!” Engineer shouted. Cole screamed before falling limp on Engineer’s blade, the imp’s body fading away in a burst of black smoke. Without a word, Engineer sheathed his blade.

“Link! Are you okay?” Zelda called as she ran to her hero, taken aback by Engineer’s sudden grip on her as he held her tightly.

“I’m okay. Are you alright? Did he hurt you?” Engineer asked worriedly as he began to check her over.

“I’m fine thanks to you and The Historian, Link,” Zelda smiled. Link smiled back, relief that his princess was unharmed before he recalled what occurred earlier.

“Wind!”

Zelda and Engineer joined the other heroes as they tended to Wind’s injuries.

“I think he has some broken ribs,” Hyrule said sadly as he tenderly checked over the young adolescent. “I can heal them but he’s going to still be sore for a while.”

“Let’s hope a portal doesn’t open anytime soon,” Time replied. “Princess, is there somewhere we can move Wind so he can be comfortable?”

“Yes, you’re all welcome to stay in the castle. It’s the least I can do. Please, come with me.”

=====

“Ouchie…” Wind whimpered as Hyrule helped him sit up in bed.

“You’ve been out for almost a whole day, sailor,” Warriors explained. He had been fraught with worry over the boy, despite Hyrule and The Historian’s best efforts to allay his concerns. “Why did you do something so reckless?”

“Well, I gotta protect the future generations after me, right?” Wind smirked before giving a wink in the direction of Engineer and Zelda. A smack to the head by Hyrule made him whimper again.

“Ouch! Hyrule, what was that for? I’m injured here!”

“You worried us to death, Wind!”

Another smack on the head, this time from The Historian, caused Wind to cry out in more pain.

“What did I say about foreknowledge? Space-time is already out of whack with the portals appearing. Don’t exacerbate it further.”

“You two are cruel…” Wind winced as Warriors helped Wind eat a meal prepared by Zelda’s chef. The Historian could not help himself as he whispered in Warriors’ ear.

“Who’s the mother hen now?”

The exasperated look on Warriors’ face was priceless to The Historian.

=====

“Are you really leaving with them?” Zelda asked. Engineer nodded with conviction. She had asked him to speak with her in her private quarters.

“I have to. I am one of them. I must help ‘em solve the mystery of these portals that threaten all of our Hyrules. You know I don’t want to leave you and New Hyrule like this, but I have to keep you and the kingdom safe.”

“I know. Just promise me that you’ll be safe out there?” Zelda asked nervously. Engineer’s warm embrace comforted her as he spoke.

“I promise to be safe. Besides, I’m with nine other Heroes of Hyrule and you and I both know they watch out for their own.”

“Engineer! Zelda! Come quick!”

=====

A mysterious, portal of dark energy pulsed as it presented itself in the courtyard of Hyrule Castle. Several of the guards nervously eyed the strange phenomenon as the group of heroes and Zelda came to see the source of the commotion.

“Well, time to go! Everyone, grab your things!” Time ordered.

“This is it, Engineer. Are you ready?” The Historian asked. Engineer smiled.

“Ready as I’ll ever be!” Engineer replied.

The Historian returned Engineer’s smile before stepping into the portal and saying goodbye to New Hyrule.


End file.
